1. Technical Field
This invention relates to lighting assemblies and, more particularly, to a multi-functional auxiliary vehicle lighting assembly for illuminating at least one target zone located external to an existing vehicle.
2. Prior Art
Off-road enthusiasts often wish to have more powerful illuminating means than what is provided by the conventional light emitting assemblies on their vehicle. This is due to the fact that there is usually limited to no light in the areas where off road endeavors are undertaken. As such, many off road enthusiasts opt to attach an auxiliary light bar to the roof of their vehicle for providing a plurality of high intensity light beams during severely low light conditions. The major disadvantage of such light bars is the fact that they remain positioned and attached to the exterior of the roof at times when they are not needed. The wind drag created by such light bar assemblies during normal city and highway driving conditions can greatly affect a vehicle's gas mileage. The current light bar designs leaves the light exposed to environmental abuse. They also extend the over-all height of vehicles, a concern when driving into garages (private and commercial)
U.S. Pat. No. 6,733,163 to Wang discloses a vehicle auxiliary light assembly having a housing that houses a conventional, central incandescent light bulb and an electro-luminescent panel (ELP) that is located around the inner perimeter of the housing. The ELP, depending on the luminescent material used, can be made to illuminate in various colors. The assembly can be operated by either a first cable assembly or a second cable assembly. The first cable assembly allows the incandescent light bulb and the ELP to be operated independently of each other. The second cable assembly allows the light and the ELP to be operated simultaneously. Unfortunately, this prior art example is not designed for all vehicles that need extra lighting and/or specialty lighting applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,997,159 to Huang discloses a vehicle light assembly comprised of a housing, a locking ring mechanism, a socket holding plate, a lens, and an attachment cover. The housing has at least three spaced apart bosses which extend inwardly and located adjacent to a front rim. The retaining ring adapter has an inner ring and an outer ring which is slightly larger than the inner ring. The inner ring has at least three spaced apart locking slots which are aligned with and rotatably engaged with the three bosses of the housing. The outer ring abuts against the front rim outside of the housing, where screws are provided to pull the inner ring against the outer rim so that the locking slots are further engaged with the bosses to further secure the inner ring thereto. The socket holding plate is installed on top of the outer ring of the retaining ring adapter for retaining a socket wherein a light bulb is installed thereto. The lens is placed over the light bulb and secured to the socket holding plate by the attachment cover. Unfortunately, this prior art example does not provide a means for retracting the lights, thereby providing protection for the lights when they are not in use.
Accordingly, the present invention is disclosed in order to overcome the above noted shortcomings. The assembly is convenient and easy to use, lightweight yet durable in design, and designed for illuminating at least one target zone located external to an existing vehicle. The multi-functional vehicle lighting assembly is simple to use, relatively inexpensive, and designed for many years of repeated use.